Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

c. 12; and Propertius in much the fame manner, fays,

Hæc nullis unquam pateat veneranda Puellis; Herculis eximii ne fit inulta fitis. 1. iv. Eleg. ix.

Women then being thus forced to keep away from his Altars, could not partake of the common Symbols of Friendship with him, and therefore never could invoke him, nor could they confiftently Swear by Him. And this is the reason, that Both in Plautus and Terence the Women are introduced fo frequently ufing the Terms Ædepol, and Mecaftor, and fo very rarely faying Mehercle, or Hercle.

It cannot be amiss here to observe, that one of the ways of Marriage among the Romans was called Confarreatio, and was a very strong evidence of the Opinion they had of the Contracts made by Eating together: The Ceremony was; * "The Man and the Woman were joined

* Tribus modis apud veteres Nuptiæ fiebant - Farre, cum per Pontificem Maximum et Dialem Flaminem per Fruges et Molam Salfam conjungebantur, unde Confarreatio appellabatur; ex quibus nuptiis patrimi et matrimi nafcebantur. Serv. in Georg. 1. i. 1. 31.

F4

together

[ocr errors]

together by the chief Prieft, and the "Flamen Dialis, by Fruits and Salted "Meal." Ulpian has explained this fort of Marriage, telling us," that it was "performed by a folemn form of Words, "in the prefence of Ten Witnesses, and "a Solemn Sacrifice was made, in which "a Cake made of bread Corn was used." The Man and Woman were affianced by thus eating together; and I must add that at this day one part of the Marriage in the Greek Churches is, that "after the "Epistle and Gospel and feveral Prayers "are read, the New married Couple drink "out of the fame cup which the Prieft had "bleffed in Sign and Token of Love, Agree

[ocr errors]

ment, and Joy, and as a Pledge of their "mutual Conversation, and of their Right "to one another's Eftates and Fortunes." So Dr. Smith in his Account of the Greek Church, p. 190. And fo when Dionyfius Halicarnaffenfis is fpeaking of the Old manner of Marriage inftituted by Romulus,

Farre conveniebatur in manum certis verbis, et teftibus decem præfentibus, et folenni facrificio facto, in quo panis quoque Farreus adhibetur. Ulpian. Tit. ix.

He

He obferves, that * "this Manner of "marrying by eating together of breadcorn took its name from the Corn fo

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

eaten, and implied a neceffary bond of indiffoluble friendship, and nothing could "diffolve these marriages." And from this Old custom of marriages by Confar, reation invented and inftituted thus by Romulus, is derived the present Custom of having a Bride Cake, to intimate the mutual Friendship contracted, not only of the Parties married together, but likewise of all those who partake of it, as a Sign of Love and Friendship with the married couple, as Dr. Cudworth has obferved,

Suppofing now that Eating and Drinking together were the known ordinary Symbols of Friendship, and were the usual Rites of engaging in Covenants and Leagues, and of renewing and ratifying Friendships, it will not be difficult to account from hence for the Origin of Sacrifices. The Fact is certain, that to Eat and Drink together was the Antient manner of Mens engaging in Friendship with

* Τὸ δη κοινωνοὺς τῆς ἱερωμάτης τε καὶ πρώτης τροφῆς γενέσθαι γυναικας ἀνδράσι,τὴν μὲν ἐπίκλησιν τῆς κοινωνίας τῇ ΦΑΡῬΟΣ είχεν, εις σύνδεσμον δ' ἀναγκαιον οικειότητος ἔφερεν ἀδιαλύτου, τὰ τὸ διαιρῆσον τοὺς γάμους τέτους οὐδὲν ἦν. Dion. Halic. 1. ii.

one

one Another; and therefore it is natural to conceive that they should take the same Method, and obferve the fame Rite in engaging in Friendship with God: And if they imagined that the Gods did eat with Them, as well as they did Eat with the Gods, they would make the fame Rites ferve for Amity and Friendship with Them, as They did with one Another.

Let us then enquire How this matter ftood among them.

Homer tells us, that Jupiter went to a Feaft among the Pious Ethiopians.

Ζεὺς γὰρ ἐπ ̓ ὠκεανὸν μετ ̓ ἀμύμονας Αιθιοπίας Χθιζὸς ἔβη μετὰ Δᾶιτα,

Ilias ά. 1. 424.

Those blameless good people facrificing at that time to him; and he was fuppofed to be Feafting with Them.

You have a more exprefs Teftimony of Homer's, cited by Plato in his Alcibiades 2", which is more full to our purpofe. He is fpeaking of the Trojans offering an Hecatomb to the Gods; and fays, "That the "fweet Savour of it went up, but that the Bleffed Gods did not EAT of it,

1

nor

nor would they; For Troy was hateful "to them, and fo was Priamus, and the People of Priamus.”

[ocr errors]

Τῆς δ ̓ ἔτι θεους μάκαρας ΔΑΤΕΕΣΘΑΙ Ουδ' ἐθέλειν, μάλα γάρ σφιν ἀπήχθετο Ιλιος ἱρή,

The Gods eating therefore of the Sacrifice is made the mark or Sign of their being in Friendship with those that offered it; As their refusing to eat of it was a Sign of their Hatred and Dislike. Agreeable to this Custom Maximus Tyrius tells us of a Practice among the Perfians when They Sacrificed to the Sun: They used this Form of Words, * " Bringing to "him as it were the Meat of Fire, O "LORD FIRE EAT." And the Heathen had their ways of judging whether the Sacrifice was accepted by the God to whom it was offered, or not, either by the manner of the Smoak's afcending, and carrying the Savour of the Sacrifice with it, Κνίσση δ' εὐρανὸν ἵκεν ἐλισσομένη περὶ καπνῷ. Il. d. 315.

Θύεσι Πέρσαι περὶ, ἐπιφορουντες αὐτῷ τὴν πυρὸς τροφής, ἐπιλέγοντες, Πῦρ Δεσπότα, ἔσθιε. Μax. Tyr. Ser. xxxviii. † Vid. Peucerum de Divinatione. p. 223.

or

« FöregåendeFortsätt »